Name

Year

Credit

credited As

Movie star Michael Pena is hoping his new movie Fury will help film fans better understand the Latino effort in World War Two because he is shocked and appalled by the fact that Mexican and Puerto Rican soldiers have become the forgotten heroes of the conflict. The American Hustle star attempted to research the role Latinos played in World War Two after landing the role of Trini 'Gordo' Garcia in the Brad Pitt film - and was stunned to realise there's so little written about the Hispanic heroes.
He tells WENN, "It was harder than I thought it would be. There were not a lot of newspaper clippings or anything in Wikipedia, which was shocking because there were, like, half a million Latinos that actually fought in World War Two."
Writer/director David Ayer adds, "It's a little bit sad that Latinos made a huge contribution to the war effort in World War Two - and not just in uniform; between half a million served and there's no records but on the homefront as the white boys went to fight they had to fill these jobs in the factories.
"As I looked at the period photographs of these tank crews you'd start to see more and more Latinos. Unfortunately in these prior films they haven't shown that aspect or that diversity."

Grey'S Anatomy star Jesse Williams was one of the thousands who rallied in Missouri over the weekend (ends12Oct14) seeking justice for the the killing of unarmed teenager Michael Brown. In August (14), race riots between locals and law enforcement officials in Ferguson erupted after Brown, an 18-year-old African-American, was shot and killed by a white police officer investigating a robbery.
While a grand jury is still meeting to decide whether the cop who killed Brown will be charged, thousands of citizens gathered in Ferguson on Friday for "Ferguson October", a planned weekend of four-day protests.
Williams joined in on Saturday (11Oct14) as they marched 12 miles from Ferguson to nearby St. Louis, demanding the officer under trial be charged with a crime.
The actor documented his weekend on his various social media accounts, posting photos of himself talking to protesters and in the thick of the crowd's march to St. Louis.
One photo, showing Williams giving comfort to a distraught female protester, was posted alongside the caption, "This is a two way street. Ferguson, MO Oct 11, 2014."
Williams is also part of the Question Bridge: Black Males video project team, which is documenting Ferguson October to "archiving the thoughts and concerns of the people and recording Black males asking and answering the questions that matter to them," according to his Tumblr page.
Williams isn't the only celebrity in town to show support for the protests - artists such as Talib Kweli, dead prez, and Jasiri X performed at a free Hip Hop 4 Justice concert on Sunday (12Oct14).

Amplify via Everett Collection
Mad and scattered though it may be, The Zero Theorem feels like business as usual for Terry Gilliam. If you’ve seen what the visionary filmmaker can do with emotional chaos, fantastical concepts, and corporate dystopias in the Fisher King, Twelve Monkeys, and Brazils of cinema past, then you’ll find this latest venture to be less a new exploration of Gilliam’s yet untapped imaginings and more a 'Best Of' reel honoring his greatest cinematic elements to date. In short, while amply pleasant, Zero Theorem is nothing new for the director.
That Gilliam’s adherence to the visual penmanship that has carried with him for decades has become “pleasant” — perish the thought: comfortable — might be its biggest fault. The dynamic “new”-ness of the aesthetic and rhythm in his early features is what made it so compelling a style. Showing little evolution in Zero Theorem, and perhaps even the hint — via a few cloyingly unoriginal sci-fi constructs, like a personalized video advertisement that follows Christoph Waltz down the street — that Gilliam has fallen behind the times in his sociopolitical commentary.
Amplify via Everett Collection
It’s a horrifying notion that Zero Theorem might be an act of regression for Gilliam (even after a decade of critical maligned work), and one that reverberates as we feel Waltz’s turn as a gifted recluse awaiting tell of the meaning of life amount to little more than cuteness. Alongside him are players equally limited by the fluffy nature of the piece: Melanie Thierry as a batty woman who takes a liking to Waltz’s Qohen, David Thewlis as his troublesome and inept supervisor, Lucas Hedges as a technical prodigy and petulant teen in whom Qohen finds an unwanted sidekick… oh, and a white-haired Matt Damon as “The Management.” Just as the members of Zero Theorem’s Orwellian society are accused of being, each of the film’s players amounts more or less to a tool, a cog in a competent but hardly challenging machine.
The script is no more or less inspiring, just another vehicle to get Gilliam’s wildfire set piece construction and gallant metaphysical ideology running again. It’s all lovely, funny, and an entirely nice way to spend two hours. But it’s hardly the sort of work the director was once assured to deliver.
3/5
Follow @Michael Arbeiter| Follow @Hollywood_com

A24 via Everett Collection
There are two ways to look at Tusk. First, through the context of the Kevin Smith’s career: a return to the offbeat after a dissipation of his Gen X cred. The long-awaited redirection to genuine imagination that he exhibited in Dogma but never before or since. Perhaps even an autobiographical illustration of the probing qualms Smith might face as a result of his career choices and brand of comedy. If you have the pertinent knowledge and energy to afford Tusk your attention through these lenses, you’ll be granting it the favor of purpose. The movie is just a tad too lacking therein to function perfectly on its own terms.
Tusk seems to rely on your familiarity with the Smith story — as did each of the director’s View Askew pictures, though much more overtly — in order to access its journey in earnest. We “observe” shock jock podcasters Wallace (Justin Long) and Teddy (Haley Joel Osment, whose real world cult appeal is inscrutably wasted on such a bland role in such a bizarre movie) trading gags at the expense of the desperate and accident-prone YouTube sensations, but are welcomed just barely into the understanding of what kind of men they are in truth, why they find it so easy to be so cruel, and how they got to this point from the humble beginnings that Wallace’s girlfriend Ally (Genesis Rodriguez) misses so terribly.
A24 via Everett Collection
So when we get to the weird part — the part we assume you must already know about by now — the emotional pulp is not readily available. Wallace’s visit to the Great White North lands him in the company of traveled gentleman Howard Howe (Michael Parks), a man whose nefarious intentions are as plain as the baculum on his mantelpiece. Once Wallace is in his possession, the movie derails to wild levels of body horror, black comedy, and garden-variety strangeness. The mood bounds up and down as we alternate attention between Howe’s demonic experimentations and Ally and Teddy’s quest to find their missing loved one. Along with the latter duo is a French Canadian detective straight out of a Jay Ward cartoon: Guy Lapointe, played quite endearingly by a heavily made-up Johnny Depp.
Although Depp's late-in-film contribution is sure to muster a few eye rolls, he provides the necessary occasional respite from the sincerely upsetting Cronenbergian nightmare games going on in the lower levels of the Howe palace. Although we're granted outright explanations of why what's happening is happening, both in-universe and in regards to the narrative, we're never beckoned far enough inward to experience what could be a haunting parable with any real intimacy.
Ultimately, Tusk winds up more interesting and enjoyable than not, landing closer to creative than commercial. But with too much confidence in the groundwork laid out by its writer and director's familiar and vivid story, the film winds up a more vacant version of what it could, should, and wants to be.
3/5
Follow @Michael Arbeiter| Follow @Hollywood_com

Coproduction Office
Swedish film A Pigeon Sat On A Branch Reflecting On Existence has won the coveted Golden Lion award at Italy's Venice Film Festival.
Director Roy Andersson picked up the prestigious trophy for his offbeat comedy-drama at a ceremony on Saturday (06Sep14) ahead of the other 19 titles in the official competition, including Birdman starring Michael Keaton and Ethan Hawke's Good Kill.
Girls star Adam Driver was named Best Actor for his role in Hungry Hearts and his co-star Alba Rohrwacher won Best Actress.
The Silver Lion prize for Best Director went to Andrei Konchalovsky for Russian film The Postman's White Nights and the Grand Jury Prize was handed to Joshua Oppenheimer for his documentary The Look of Silence, a follow-up to his Oscar-nominated factual film The Act of Killing.

German rocker Michael Schenker is on the hunt for three priceless guitars and computers containing recordings for his new album after thieves broke into his studio over the weekend (30-31Aug14) and stole equipment. The star was working on new tracks with former Rainbow singer Doogie White when he took the weekend off and discovered his headquarters in Greven, Germany had been raided.
The theft reportedly took place between Friday evening and Sunday morning at Kidroom Studios - and one of the guitars stolen, a custom-made Dean V, was one of only three ever made.
White tells ClassicRock.com, "We're a bit f**ked and a bit p**sed off. I only got home on Friday after laying down the vocals... The thieves broke in through skylights and stole a bunch of guitars, and also the computers containing the tracks. Then we found they'd also taken the back-ups.
"There's still some confusion over whether we even have rough mixes of the songs. It remains to be seen what, if anything, we have left to listen to and work from."
The singer has warned the thieves they may struggle to sell the items they stole, adding, "The criminal masterminds behind this sorry affair just saw guitars and computers. They have no idea how difficult it may be to offload them. Any reputable dealer will know they're stolen. No fan will buy them - they're more likely to knock the seller out and hand them back. And casual (guitar) players won't want them. A Dean V ain't for doodling on in front of the TV."
Police in Greven have launched an investigation into the burglary, while Schenker is considering what to do next.
White adds, "The temptation is to say, 'Return that which you have taken and you can go free, no questions asked'. However much that sticks in our craw, it may be the course of action to take. We'll see what happens over the next few days.
"I spoke to Michael and he's very matter-of-fact about it all. We agree there's not much we can do, other than knuckle down and get on with what needs to be done. We'll refocus, regroup and have a fresh plan in a day or two."

ABC
Shutting off news reports of the Iran-Contra affair, turning down the abrasive rock stylings of the Beastie Boys, and peering through the perpetual mist of airborne cocaine particles that was inherent to 1987 California, film and television director Jeff Franklin dreamed of a simpler time. A time riddled with milkmen and paperboys, a time wherein three grown imbeciles could band together to raise a triad of blonde, plucky sisters together without incurring questioning unto their judgmental capabilities. Even in a time as cynical as the late '80s and early '90s, Franklin's creation Full House managed to thrive on the simple, wholesome, drama-free bounties of pleasant West Coast tomfoolery. Back then, the Tanners and co. didn't need postmodern satire, sociopolitical undertones, sudden character deaths, love triangles, or overarching themes of any kind — they relied (and thrived) simply on being pleasant. But today would be a different story.
With John Stamos pushing to revive the highly successful ABC sitcom (via TV Guide) — in the wake of the Disney Channel's creation of Girl Meets World, no less — we are looking at the considerable, albeit presently quite tentative, possibility that such an entity might in time come to be. But we can't help but wonder how a show about three ceaselessly well-meaning kooks and their frighteningly saccharine communal daughters would fare amid today's TV slate: a community of shows where crooked and criminal, if not entirely amoral, heroes and heroine are the norm rather than the exception.
Cynicism is the life blood of today's TV. Even in our comedic fare — think of Community, Arrested Development, How I Met Your Mother, and even The Big Bang Theory — do we see the proclivity to mock and deconstruct, to tear apart the very fabric of shows like Full House (happy family bouncing from one typical sitcom plotline to the next week after week). Our characters aren't looking to reclaim the era of milkmen and paperboys the way Danny Tanner was, they're looking to shoot down the blind-eyed peurility upheld by this allegedly superior past. So far gone into the muck of irony is today's television viewer that Full House couldn't seem earnest no matter how hard it tried... or, better yet, how naturally earnestness came to it.
ABC
But even if we can accept the Tanner/Katsopolis/Gladstone/Gibbler tribe as impeccably genuine, what would be our motivation to watch week after week? Full House, so appropriately named after an immobile edifice, was a show that celebrated its static nature. Every time you set foot into that San Francisco dwelling, you were treated to the same consequence-free merriment that you caught episodes and seasons prior. Yes, this was a treat, not a relegation. But today, we yearn for that through-line momentum. We watch, if for no other reason, to find out what happens next in the chaotic and kinetic, oftentimes toxic, forward narratives of Walter White, Carrie Mathison, and Tyrion Lannister. Hell, one of the most popular shows on today is called Scandal. If that's not telling, then I don't know what is.
Without even a central romance into which to sink our teeth — could we really see Danny, Joey, or any of the girls upholding one half of a riveting will-they-won't-they? — we're hardly draw to "find out what happens on the next exciting episode of Full House," at least not with the same verve to which modern TV has fueled our communal addiction.
Lacking that intertwining drama, today's Full House could seem devoid of life force. Without the scathing bite of sarcasm, it could come off lazy and unclever. And with such an adherence to the traditional format — that which today's comedy routinely turns inside out for sport — it could render not nostalgic but wholly outdated. When Full House came to be in 1987, it was then a throwback, a revival of a simpler time. So what would it be now? A throwback to a throwback? A revival of a revival? A tribute to a time simpler than a time that was simpler? See, just trying to identify it feels like a lost cause.
Follow @Michael Arbeiter | Follow @Hollywood_com

Alongside a record degree of mediocrity, the 2014 Primetime Emmy Awards also marked a few records in some of its top competitive categories. Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston took home the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series trophy last night: his fourth for the role of Walter White. With this latest achievement, Cranston has tied one Dennis Franz, who has held the record of four Best Dramatic Actor Emmys solo since 1999. The milestone begs us to look back through other Emmys records: Which stars have the most wins? The most nominations? And, perhaps tragically, the most nominations without a single win?
This bittersweet superlative goes to none other than Angela Lansbury, who never quite nabbed that trophy despite 12 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series nominations as Murder, She Wrote star Jessica Fletcher.
NBC
Not only does Lansbury claim ownership of the most nominations without a win, she also has the most nominations period in any acting category. Alan Alda, Ted Danson, and Kelsey Grammer have all earned 11 nominations in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series category (for M*A*S*H, Cheers, and Frasier respectively), and Mary Tyler Moore snagged 10 Lead Actress in a Comedy nominations for her eponymous sitcom. As for supporting categories, David Hyde Pierce has taken 11 nods for his work on Frasier, while Rhea Perlman and Loretta Swit have each earned 10 comedy nominations (Cheers and M*A*S*H).
Follow @Michael Arbeiter | Follow @Hollywood_com

Singer Michael Mcdonald has paid tribute to an African-American teenager killed by a police officer in his native Missouri by releasing a statement about the tragedy. Michael Brown was shot dead by a local police officer investigating a robbery on 9 August (14). The tragedy has sparked a series of heated protests between locals, police and U.S. Marshals in Ferguson, and the former Doobie Brothers singer is saddened to see what is occurring in his hometown.
A statement from McDonald reads: "As someone who spent his first 18 yrs (years) in the St. Louis area, (14 of them in Ferguson...), I pray for the family of Michael Brown and the entire community that is originally my home town to which I still feel a strong connection.
"I pray this tragic event and the still greater issue that it heralds will be faced and dealt with in an honest and responsible manner by the residents of Ferguson and the people in its leadership positions..."
He continues, "However on a larger landscape, mustn't we ask ourselves why we're hearing more and more about the incidents of young black males being gunned down by law enforcement not just in my home town of Ferguson... but all over this country.
"What I think needs to be honestly examined by the larger national community, is the difference between what constitutes a valid reason for use of deadly force when a young white male is the suspected perpetrator of a crime and what those standards seem to be when the suspect is African American. How many tragic losses of this nature must we endure before we're called to conscience on this issue."
Fellow Missouri native Nelly has also spoken out about the ongoing crisis in Ferguson. The rapper also took part in a peace rally earlier this week (beg18Aug14).

One of the rare gems we've seen hit the single-digit channels since the turn of the millennium, The Office, actually sported a ton of directors you've more than likely heard of. Some of them were already famous upon helming an episode or two of the NBC mockumentary, others were pinned at the starting line of what has proved to be a rocket-fueled race to stardom. Here are a few great film directors who, as you may or may not know, worked on The Office from time to time:
AMY HECKERLING
Columbia Pictures via Everett Collection
Episodes Directed: "Hot Girl."But You Know Her for: The generation-defining Jane Austen adaptation Clueless, plus the Look Who's Talking movies and European Vacation.
HAROLD RAMIS
Columbia Pictures via Everett Collection
Episodes Directed: "A Benihana Christmas," "Safety Training," "Beach Games," and "The Delivery - Part 2."But You Know Him for: Some of the most iconic comedies from the past 35 years — Caddyshack, National Lampoon's Vacation, and Groundhog Day among them. And as far as acting goes, we'll remember him always as Egon Spengler.
JOSS WHEDON
WENN/Nikki Nelson
Episodes Directed: "Business School" and "Beach Wars."But You Know Him for: It's true that offbeat television work like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly is what got Whedon on the map, but he is now one of the most prominent voices in blockbuster cinema thanks to, if nothing else, The Avengers and the upcoming The Avengers: Age of Ultron.
JON FAVREAU
WENN
Episodes Directed: "Moving On."But You Know Him for: Another member of the Marvel family, Favreau's biggest films are certainly Iron Man and Iron Man 2, though we celebrate his smaller fare: Made, Elf, and 2014's delightful Chef.
MARC WEBB
Fox Searchlight Pictures via Everett Collection
Episodes Directed: "Manager and Salesman."But You Know Him for: Jumping over to the other side of the comic book game, we find Webb's Amazing Spider-Man and Amazing Spider-Man 2. But before partnering up with Peter Parker (or even joining forces with Michael Scott), Webb helmed the neo-rom com (500) Days of Summer.
J.J. ABRAMS
Paramount Pictures via Everett Collection
Episodes Directed: "Cocktails."But You Know Him for: Whedon's only rival on this list in terms of blockbuster influence, Abrams is of course the man behind Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness, as well as the upcoming Star Wars: Episode VII.
REGINALD HUDLIN
Paramount Pictures via Everett Collection
Episodes Directed: "Koi Pond."But You Know Him for: Though Hudlin has spent most of his time directing television in recent years, the dawn of his career gave us two early '90s cult favorites: the Kid 'n Play comedy House Party and Eddie Murphy's Boomerang.
JASON REITMAN
Paramount Pictures via Everett Collection
Episodes Directed: "Local Ad" and "Frame Toby."But You Know Him for: That irreverent fast-paced serio-comedic style we saw in Thank You for Smoking, Juno, Up in the Air, and (the best of the lot) Young Adult. He also did Labor Day, but we don't have to talk about that one.
BRYAN CRANSTON
WENN/Joseph Marzullo
Episodes Directed: "Work Bus."But You Know Him for: Not directing, but acting. Cranston became a household name thanks to his starring role as Walter White on the unforgettable Breaking Bad.
PAUL FEIG
20th Century Fox Film via Everett Collection
Episodes Directed: And we have a winner! Feig directed 14 episodes of The Office, including "Office Olympics," "Halloween," "Performance Review," "E-Mail Surveillance," "Survivor Man," "Dinner Party," "Goodbye, Toby," "Weight Loss," "The Surplus," "Moroccan Christmas," "New Boss," "Dream Team," "Niagara," "Goodbye, Michael."But You Know Him for: Bridesmaids, of course, plus The Heat... and the legion of exciting projects he has in the works, like a spy comedy, a gay rom com, and (potentially) an all-female Ghostbusters III. And although we're focusing on movie credits here, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention his greatest contribution to pop culture of all: Freaks and Geeks.
Follow @Michael Arbeiter |Follow @julesemm | Follow @Hollywood_com